"That's right, I do like Ling Yinluo. What's it to you?"
"You scumbag! You liked me for all those years, and the moment you turn around you like someone else! Are you even human?" Yu Jiaxin said angrily, her face flushed red with fury.
How could he do this? Ever since they were little, Lin Xuan had always followed right behind her, hanging on her every word. How could he possibly like someone else?
Hearing Yu Jiaxin say this, Lin Xuan grew angry too.
When he had liked her back then, she wouldn't have him and subjected him to all sorts of humiliation. Now that he didn't like her anymore, that wasn't allowed either?
It was utterly ridiculous. Was it wrong of him to like her, and wrong of him not to like her too? What kind of twisted logic was that?
"First! Who I like is my own right!"
"Second! What right do you have to call me a scumbag?"
"Third! Let me make it clear again: we have nothing to do with each other. Would you please stop bothering me?"
Lin Xuan's anger was laced with speechlessness. He had already made things crystal clear to Yu Jiaxin last time; why was she still here making a scene and tangling him up in this nonsense?
Looking at Lin Xuan's cold gaze, Yu Jiaxin finally believed it.
Lin Xuan truly wanted nothing more to do with her.
Why did her heart hurt so much? It felt as if she couldn't breathe.
Tears swirled endlessly in her eyes, right on the verge of spilling over.
Lin Xuan watched the tears in Yu Jiaxin's eyes. Was she actually crying because of what he said? He had merely thrown her own past words back at her, and she couldn't even take that?
Just then, Zhou Lin happened to walk in through the classroom door and caught sight of Yu Jiaxin crying in front of Lin Xuan.
He immediately rushed over to Lin Xuan and began cursing furiously:
"I must say, Lin Xuan, you really have no shame! Didn't you say you weren't going to chase our Jiaxin anymore? What's going on here?!"
Clearly, he had imagined some scenario where Lin Xuan had been pestering Yu Jiaxin with shameless confessions.
"Don't be afraid, Jiaxin. I'll help you teach this asshole a lesson!"
"Listen here, Zhou Lin, do you have to bounce around here like a village clown? Does what's happening here have anything to do with you? Besides, it was Yu Jiaxin who took the initiative to come over and talk to our Xuanzi in the first place. What does this have to do with him?" Zhao Tianxiang fired back. He had never seen someone as shameless as Zhou Lin; clearly Yu Jiaxin had approached Lin Xuan herself, yet Zhou Lin rushed over without knowing the facts and started spouting nonsense.
"What did you say?!"
"You're full of crap! Lin Xuan is nothing but a total bootlicker, how could Jiaxin possibly initiate a conversation with him?!" Zhou Lin refused to believe it.
"That's right, I was the one who approached Lin Xuan. Besides, this has nothing to do with you, so stop sticking your nose in!" Yu Jiaxin was already agitated, and Zhou Lin was just making things worse with his rambling.
What?! It really *was* Jiaxin who had approached Lin Xuan?! And judging by Lin Xuan's expression, he didn't even seem to want to give her the time of day! What on earth was going on here?
Zhou Lin's wish to play the hero saving the damsel in distress had completely fallen through, and his classmates were all staring at him as if he were a clown performing in a circus! Zhou Lin wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
"Oh, so it was a misunderstanding... Sorry, I got a bit carried away. Anyway, Jiaxin, what's wrong? You seem to be in a bad mood..."
Yu Jiaxin didn't want to dignify this idiot with a response. She turned around and walked back to her seat.
Seeing this, Zhou Lin had no choice but to slink away in disgrace.
Watching Yu Jiaxin's upset appearance and feeling utterly baffled, Wang Xiaoyan spoke up:
"Jiaxin, what's wrong with you? Didn't you say you didn't like Lin Xuan? Why did you go over to talk to him anyway?"
"I don't know. It's just that when he ignores me, I feel terrible. This feeling is so strange... it's like something that belonged to me for a long time suddenly belongs to someone else."
"What? Jiaxin, you can't possibly have fallen for Lin Xuan!"
"No way, stop talking nonsense!"
"Really, that's just what liking someone is like! Haven't you ever liked anyone before?" Wang Xiaoyan found it hard to believe.
"No. Ever since I was little, lots of guys have chased me, but I never agreed to any of them. I never felt anything for any of them."
"And what about Lin Xuan?"
"I'm not sure either. Back then I thought he was so annoying, always nagging me, bringing me gifts, bringing me breakfast, sending me messages, calling me, calling me..."
As she spoke, Yu Jiaxin choked up. Only now did she realize how many things Lin Xuan had done for her without her ever noticing.
Thinking about it carefully, she must have simply taken it for granted. She had grown accustomed to Lin Xuan's kindness toward her, failing to realize it on her own.
Now that Lin Xuan completely ignored her, she had finally woken up to the truth—but where in this world could you buy medicine for regret?
Wang Xiaoyan patted Yu Jiaxin's back with a pang of sympathy; this was the first time she had ever seen Yu Jiaxin look so distraught.
"Then why don't you find a chance to apologize to him? He liked you for so many years, surely he'll forgive you?"
"I don't know. I have a feeling he won't forgive me, especially after I did something so awful last time."
"What did you do?"
"Last week, Lin Xuan sent me flowers, and I told him his flowers were dirty..."
"What?! You actually said that to him?!" Wang Xiaoyan was stunned. You really had no filter, did you? The guy was being kind enough to send you something, and even if you wouldn't accept it, telling him his flowers were dirty? Who could possibly put up with that?
It was one thing when you used to dump the breakfasts he bought you straight into the trash can, because at least you didn't do it right in front of him. But now look at you—telling him to his face that the flowers he sent were dirty.
Yu Jiaxin nodded. "Xiaoyan, do you think I went too far?"
"What you did *was* a bit over the top. Everyone has self-respect. Think about it: if you gave someone a gift and they told you your gift was dirty, how would you feel?"
Wang Xiaoyan continued, "I figure that's probably why he changed so much after that incident. Find some time to apologize to him, I'm sure he'll forgive you."
"Really?" Yu Jiaxin raised her head. Was there still room to turn things around?
"You always have to try. Anyway, your relationship is already in this state, so you might as well try first and see what happens."
"But I feel like I can't bring myself to say it..."
"It's fine, I'll go with you later!"
"Really?! Xiaoyan, you're truly my best friend!" Yu Jiaxin instantly brightened up.
The day flew by in the blink of an eye, and before they knew it, school was over.
Lin Xuan had spent the entire day listening attentively to his classes; even after the final bell, he still felt a lingering sense of enjoyment.
So this was what it felt like when studying became a hobby—time passed by in a flash.
Lin Xuan called out to Zhao Tianxiang, getting ready to head home. Their houses were right next to each other, so they always walked back together.
"Hey, Lin Xuan, wait up!"
Seeing that Lin Xuan was about to leave, Wang Xiaoyan hurriedly called out to stop him.
"Wang Xiaoyan, is there something you need?"
Lin Xuan looked at her curiously. As Yu Jiaxin's best friend, he didn't know her very well and couldn't fathom what she could possibly want with him.
"Well... Yu Jiaxin has something to say to you. Right, Jiaxin?"
Wang Xiaoyan pushed Yu Jiaxin out right in front of Lin Xuan.